In John’s Gospel there’s a story about a large crowd being fed from a boy’s five loaves and two fish. A lot of hungry folks fed by a little gift.
Every miracle we see is the result of someone we don’t see behind the scenes praying, giving, surrendering. If the boy doesn’t give up his meal, the crowd is hungry.
God’s ministry at the jail and prison also involves a large crowd. Over a 1,000 inmates, 300 facility staff, and a lot of families. We see a lot of people and quite often, witness a miracle among the masses. Now it’s easy to see a miracle ‘cause it stands out like light in the darkness. But it’s a challenge to find the “miracle behind the miracle,” an almost hidden work of God in the background that leads to the headlines seen by many.
Some years ago an African-American inmate named Kenny came to know Jesus and participate in a Bible study at the prison. In fact, after being released he eventually taught the same Bible course for the youth at a white church. Now that was a miracle seen by many.
But years earlier another miracle occurred when two white volunteers started the Bible study and nurtured Kenny on a weekly basis. For over a year after his release from prison he could not drive a car. So these two guys picked Kenny drove him from Winston to Greensboro to church each week. There he taught the Bible study for the kids. The two guys gave up a night each week to make that happen.
And that was the miracle behind the miracle. Sounds like 5 loaves and two fish to me.
-Rodney Stilwell, Senior Chaplain
